Leonardo DiCaprio talks climate change with President Obama

Climate change is real and some of the world's leading personalities sat down to discuss what can be done to save our earth.

Oscar winner and United Nations Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio chaired a panel discussion on climate change at the White House in Washington last night. Joined by special guests US President Barack Obama and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, the trio discussed the debilitating issues surrounding the controversial subject as well as the challenges that need to be overcome to achieve positive change, including voting for the right people into power.

"This moment is more important than ever," said DiCaprio. "We must empower leaders who not only believe in climate change but are willing to do something about it. The scientific consensus is in and the argument is now over. If you do not believe in climate change, you do not believe in facts, or in science or in empirical truth, and therefore in my humble opinion, should not be allowed to hold public office."

The hour-long intellectual exchange, streamed live on DiCaprio's Facebook account, further showcased President Obama's resolve and determination in tackling the worldwide issue for the sake of future generations. "There are so many entry points into this issue and we've got to use all of them in order to convince people that this is something worth caring about," said Obama. "At the end of the day, the one thing I'm absolutely convinced about is everybody cares about their kids and their grandkids, and the kind of world we pass on to them. If we can speak to them about our responsibility to the next generation and we can give people realistic ways to deal with this, then I tend to be a cautious optimist about our ability to make change."

After the discussion, DiCaprio premiered his new documentary film Before The Flood, a movie three years in the making and which the actor revealed "was developed to show the devastating impact climate change is having on our planet and more importantly what can be done". The film is set to be released on October 21 but meanwhile, watch the trailer here...

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